Del Mar: Speed Boat Beach returns in Pat O'Brien Stakes

Saturday's Grade 2, $250,000 Pat O’Brien Stakes at Del Mar drew a field of nine, including Speed Boat Beach, who holds the track record of 1:01.86 for 5 1/2 furlongs.

The seven-furlong Pat O'Brien is a win-and-you're-in for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, which be run at Del Mar on Saturday, Nov. 1.

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Speed Boat Beach is a now 5-year-old owned by the trio of Pegram, Watson and Weitman, and he is in the midst of a comeback after losing all of 2024 to injury.

The son of Bayern is a triple stakes winner who has banked just shy of $500,000. He made his first start in May at Churchill Downs after more than 16 months away but faded badly in a sprint and had to be aided getting off the track. Trainer Bob Baffert has brought his horse back home and put a long series of stout works into him for his latest comeback. He’ll have leading rider Juan Hernandez up for his retry Saturday and looms the likely favorite in the headliner.

Also of note in the extended dash is Rick or Sharon Walter’s 4-year-old Ghostzapper colt Stronghold, a multiple-stakes winner who has put more than $1.1 million in the bank and will make his first start in seven months. The Phil D’Amato-trained bay will have regular rider Antonio Fresu at the controls and he, too, has been working forwardly for his Saturday date.

The mystery horse in the O’Brien lineup is another Baffert-trained youngster, this one a 4-year-old by Frosted named Maymun who also will be making a comeback. The lightly raced bay will be making only the third start of his career and his first in more than 18 months. He is owned by Zedan Racing Stables, owned by Amr Zedan, the Saudi Arabian businessman who paid $900,000 for him at a 2-year-old in-training sale in Florida. He won both his starts at the beginning of 2024 but now faces stakes company for the first time off a substantial layoff, though backed by a series of sharp morning drills.  Kazushi Kimura has the riding call.